Ms. Strassel's esprit de l'escalier letter is only that-thoughts on what she should have, would have, could have said if she had had the wit and the cajones. Pls. Ms. Strassel, if you don't like something, whether it is a tv program, restaurant food, or an airline exercise your right as a thinking human (and you seem to be able to think as your moniker indicated you are a writer of limited note) and stay the f... away from those people and institutions that piss you off.

If you don't like travel on airlines get on your high horse and ride to where ever you need to go. It won't be as fast, and with a 3 year old it for sure as hell won't be as comfortable, but, by God, you will get there on your own terms.

Airline travel has not been fun since 1972, and with the way things are going I don't see that it is likely to be fun anytime soon. Get used to it. America has been blessed, in sort of a perverted way, with low oil prices for 100 years and now the party is over. When the airlines try to raise their prices in order to give you the kind of service you hope for then all hell breaks loose. The hue and cry is deafening when the airlines tell you that you can't take 240 lbs. of carry on baggage inside the cabin.

To blame the oil companies for the price of oil, and subsequent rise in air line prices and cut backs in service, is like blaming the weatherman for rain. Certainly the oil companies make some money off the price rise, but, I bet, no one who has energy company stocks in their 401k is complaining.

The people you need to be yelling at are Americans. We have created this oil dependent monster. We are the ones who have put our cajones in the hands of the oil nations. No one forced us into this position. No one forced us to buy 6 liter SUVs, or keep our houses at 72 deg., or drive 20 miles for a latte. Put the blame where it belongs; on the American life style.

In other words, put a cork in it and get a bike.